‘That’s a strange one. Wormstone said he’d got onto the coastguard and there were no boats in that area at the time. The regulars repeated this story about ghostly fishermen giving a warning. I obviously saw Tristram’s lantern on the cliff-top but I’m certain there were also lights out to sea.’
Stephen suggested it was probably a small fishing boat that had gone off course. Anne agreed and pooh-poohed the idea of ghostly goings-on. Beth was sure he’d been seeing things.
But James remained quiet. He knew what he’d seen. He didn’t believe in ghosts but he knew he’d seen something. He’d seen the lights the same time every evening but strangely enough, now that the mystery had been solved, the lights had not appeared the previous night. Was his imagination playing tricks on him? Were the ghostly lights real and were the ancient legends true? He’d never know, of course, and had to put it down to Cornish folklore.
Stephen raised a glass. ‘H-here’s to our last day in Polpennarth.’
James raised his. ‘And here’s to returning to Cavendish and seeing our friends and neighbours.’
THE END
(See further down for Grandma Alice Harrington’s recipes)
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Grandma Harrington’s Sussex Pond Pudding and Plain Scones
SUSSEX POND PUDDING (serves 6)
This is an incredibly old Sussex dish and called a pond pudding because that is what it resembles once it’s cooked!! It’s full of flavour (and calories!!!) but, like James advised, give it a go, you may like it.
Pastry:
8oz self-raising flour
4oz suet
2oz fresh white breadcrumbs
Pinch of salt
Milk to mix
Filling:
2 lemons
7oz brown sugar
7oz butter
Mix the dry ingredients for the pastry using the milk to form them into a soft dough.
Reserve one third of the dough for the lid.
Roll out the remainder into a circle and line a greased 2 pint pudding basin.
Leave some pastry overlapping the edge.
Place half of the butter and half of the sugar into the bottom of the lined bow.
Prick the lemons with a large needle or skewer so the juices can flow out. Then place them on the butter and sugar.
Place remaining butter and sugar over the lemons.
Roll out the remaining pastry into a circle.
Use this to make a lid, sealing it with a little milk.
Cover with greased paper and a cloth.
Steam for 3-4 hours.
PLAIN SCONES (makes 8 - 10 scones)
Ingredients:
12oz self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 tspn baking powder
3oz unsalted butter
3 tbsp caster sugar
6 fluid ounces warm milk
2 tspn vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to gas mark 7 and allow baking tray to heat up.
Mix flour, salt and baking powder in large bowl.
Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar.
With the milk on one side, stir the vanilla extract into the milk.
Make a well in the mixture and gradually pour the milk in and mix together until it forms a dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. If you need to fold it a bit, do it gently.
Roll it, gently, to a thickness of 5cm.
Using a scone cutter, cut out several rounds.
Bring the dough back together and repeat the process. Should make 8 scones.
Brush the top with egg then place on baking tray.
Bake for ten minutes.
Switch on the wireless and enjoy with lashings of clotted cream and strawberry jam.
Lord James Harrington and the Cornish Mystery Page 22